1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic transactions, and more specifically, systems and methods for communicating transaction data within a self-checkout environment.
2. Description of Related Art
Self-checkout systems have become common in retail stores for providing shoppers with the ability to pay for purchases from a retailer without direct input to the checkout process by retailer personnel. Such systems are an alternative to traditional cashier-staffed checkout systems. In self-checkout systems, shoppers are permitted to scan barcodes on their items or products for identifying items to be purchased. During checkout, the process of scanning each purchase item at a shopper terminal can be a slow task. This process includes aligning and swiping the barcode of each purchase item with a scanner. In addition, the process may also include individually removing each purchase item from a shopping cart or basket for placement near the scanner. These steps can slow the checkout process. For at least this reason, it is desired to provide improved systems and methods for hastening the checkout process and for making the process more convenient for shoppers.